


I Need You By My Side

by Ephemeral_Joy



Series: "When I kissed you" // Stydia [15]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 6x17, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, Friendship, Hospitals, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Love, why is their no humoUr like why is everything american english
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 02:11:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13203543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ephemeral_Joy/pseuds/Ephemeral_Joy
Summary: Instead of Lydia recovering alone in her sterile hospital bedroom, Stiles sits next to her, ready to help her.(or: how 6x17 should've had someone being by Lydia's side instead of LEAVING HER ALONE)





	I Need You By My Side

**Author's Note:**

> Anon on Tumblr: Hi! If you still do stydia fics, can you do a one shot where stiles was actually there when Lydia was shot in 6b (:
> 
> Long time since I sat down and seriously wrote a Stydia fic. Kind of missed it :') - Listened to Bon Iver and Sleeping At Last to keep the creative juices flowing.

Stiles passed the Beacon Hills sign in his rental car, tires screeching as he took a sharp turn through a shortcut in the woods.

_Lydia Lydia Lydia Lydia Lydia Lydia Lydia_

The three syllables of her beautiful name chanted in his mind, making him nearly slip of the road multiple times.

_Lydia Lydia Lydia Lydia Lydia Lydia Lydia_

He swerved back onto the main road, past the animal clinic and the horrendous high school. Strangely enough, kids were still there, even at nine PM. Stiles scoffed, do they _want_ to die, or have they been oblivious to the countless crimes that have been committed here? He took a left turn, fingers drumming onto the wheel. His phone rang.   
‘Scott, I’m almost there!’, he yelled.   
_‘It’s Malia,’_ the girl said and Stiles frowned.   
‘Why’re you calling from Scott’s phone?’  
_‘I left my phone at Scott’s and he’s basically immobile right now, so I’m calling to see where you are.’_  
Stiles pursed his lips, cursing when the light suddenly turned red.   
_‘What?’_  
‘Nothing. Light’s red. I’m there in like, four minutes.’  
_‘Okay.’_ She hung up. 

He sprung out of the car whilst it was still rolling, slamming the door shut with his fingertips and absentmindedly locking it. (At least, he assumed he locked it. He wasn’t looking. His mind was elsewhere.)  
‘Lydia Martin,’ he panted. The woman at the front desk raised her eyebrows unimpressed, clearly recognising him as the troublemaker of Beacon Hills. She sighed. Stiles wanted to strangle her.   
‘Room 12B – Don’t run in the halls!’ Stiles ignored her, nearly slamming into a doctor as he turned the corner. Hell could waltz into Beacon Hills with all their might, yet he’d still be headed in one direction. To Lydia.

Stiles first saw Scott, his hunched body in an uncomfortable chair with an intense look on his face. He recognised it as the look when he was listening into conversations. Stiles remembered how he sat there, waiting in agony until he got to see his father, only now it was Melissa laying on the sterile sheets. Guilt washed over the boy: he hadn’t even asked how Scott was doing.  
Secondly, he saw Malia, her face covered with a veil of brown hair. Her hand was on Scott’s shoulder and it looked like she was whispering to him.

‘Scott.’

The boy’s head shot up, eyes widening. Stiles noticed the moisture in his eyes, his own heart sinking. He’d been gone for what? Two weeks? A little less than that? Scott was already on the verge of collapsing. His caramel eyes flitted towards number 12B, but his feet brought him to Scott.

Without a word, they hugged, holding on to each other tightly. Stiles opened his eyes, catching Malia’s gaze and smiling at her appreciatively. Silently thanking her for keeping Scott together. She tugged her lips upwards, nodding.   
‘She’s gonna be okay, man. Melissa’s tough,’ Stiles mumbled, pulling back.   
‘I know,’ Scott sniffed.  
Stiles looked at Malia, ‘How’re the others?’  
‘Everyone’s fine. Except for Melissa and,’ she gulped, ‘Lydia. She covered for Mason.’  
In that dark moment, his heart swelled in pride, just slightly. Lydia Martin, heroine of her own story, the heroine he thought she always could be. Preferably not at the expense of herself, but still. He chuckled, albeit the situation, he must’ve rubbed of on her.  
‘See her, Stiles. She needs you,’ Scott croaked, nodding to the room. Stiles squeezed his shoulder, before entering Lydia’s room.

His heart sunk to his stomach, taking in the sight of her ghastly pale skin and concerned expression, even when she slept. He quickly covered her body with the blanket at her feet, protecting her from the cold AC.   
Why her?, he thought as he sat down, why always _her_? She didn’t deserve this. None of it. She should be doing weekly trips to Target, buying all her dorm necessities and getting acquainted with her dorm mates on Facebook. Lydia shouldn’t be dodging bullets and constantly looking behind her shoulder. The hospital bed became too familiar with her. He took her hand.

Her eyes shot open, heavily breathing and eyes flitting around the room, unfocused and glassy.   
‘Lydia.’  
She didn’t hear him, her feet trashing under the blanket, supressed screams catching in her throat, as if she was choking.   
‘Lydia!’, he tried again, grasping her face, thumbs brushing her cheeks. She was at the end of a fugue state, recognising the behaviour. If he was able to calm her down – ‘Lydia, you’re safe,’ he whispered in her ear – she’d be fine.  
Lydia started mumbling nonsensical stuff, hands clenching.   
Stiles started to panic. He couldn’t get the nurse, as this wasn’t natural, and he has tried every method he knew. He didn’t realise her premonitions have become more intense. Stiles wondered if that hole in her head might’ve contributed to that. Fucking Valack.   
On impulse, he pushed his arms around her waist, slightly pulling her up and hugging her. She contracted at the contact, hitting his arms. She squeaked a yell out.   
‘Lydia,’ he whispered, tears rimming the corners of his eyes, ‘wake up.’  
After minutes of her trying to escape his grasp, she faltered, until her body relaxed into his. He sighed relieved, laying her back on the bed.

She would be okay. She would be okay.

Stiles stared at her fluttering eyes, intertwining their hands. He wanted her to see his face first, knowing she was safe.   
Another five minutes passed, and her eyes opened, life and consciousness back alight behind her irises.   
Lydia said nothing when her gaze met his. Assessing him. He waited patiently, but he’d rather cry. She was okay, she was awake, it wasn’t a deadly bullet, she survived. She was okay. She’d live another day, be with him for another day.

‘Hi.’   
He jumped, squeezing her hand. He hadn’t expected the silence to be interrupted.   
‘Hey,’ he whispered, ‘how are you?’   
She narrowed her eyes and he knew she was trying to keep herself from tearing up. She held his hand tighter, Stiles leaning forward by the gesture.   
‘You’re here,’ she croaked.   
‘Yeah, I came as soon as I heard it.’  
‘But… the FBI…’, Lydia mumbled, avoiding his gaze. Stiles shook his head, his free hand going up to her face, caressing her lower lip.   
‘Lydia, you’re more important than that, don’t you know that?’, she looked up, shoulders slumping at his genuine expression.   
‘I love you,’ she mouthed, touching her forehead with his. Stiles closed his eyes, smiling. He didn’t think the feeling would ever stop whenever she said it.  
‘I wanted to say “I know”, but that would ruin the moment, so,’ she rolled her eyes, lips quirking up. ‘I love you too.’ He stared at her with a cheesy grin as her hands curled around his jacket.  
‘Where are the others?’, she asked after taking a sip from her water.   
‘Scott and Malia are outside. Melissa is also in recovery. I don’t know where the rest is… Lydia, what is happening?’   
She pursed her lips, sighing. He waited, slowly feeling himself go rigid in lingering fear. What had they gone through?   
‘There’s… what I’m about to tell you has something to do with you but it is _not_ your fault,’ Lydia locked eyes with him, demanding him to listen and understand. Stiles didn’t see it though. Something to do with him? He did something. He caused the problem.  
‘Stiles.’  
‘What happened?’  
She collected her thoughts. ‘When you escaped The Hunt… something out of that universe came with you. It causes people to feel irrational fear, and someone took advantage of that. We’re a walking target.’  
His heart fell at the news. That couldn’t be true. How did they walk the streets when every second someone could hold a gun to their forehead?   
‘Is this like with Meredith?’   
Lydia’s jaw tensed. ‘Worse.’  
Stiles stuttered out a breathe, rubbing his hands cheeks. Why couldn’t this god damn town just take a break? So many puzzle pieces were missing for him to completely understand, but Lydia was his priority now. They could fight the demons later.  
He tugged at her neck, pulling her closer. She smiled, placing her lips on his lips.   
God, he missed her. Stiles savoured her plump lips, tongue teasing the tip of hers. Her arms slung around his shoulder, the IV in her hand falling out.   
‘I missed you,’ she whispered, lashes fluttering against his cheeks, ‘it’s not the same without you.’  
The knife of guilt stabbed him deeper in the ribcage. He swallowed, hard. ‘I’m sorry.’   
‘No,’ she quipped, ‘don’t apologise. You’ve been through things none of us can imagine. You found a way _out_ , Stiles. Don’t apologise.’  
‘I could’ve helped.’  
‘You’re helping us by staying safe.’  
‘I don’t want to be safe if that means you get hurt.’  
‘Are we really bickering about this?’, Lydia asked, a hint of amusement in her tone.   
‘I kinda expected that.’  
‘Huh.’  
‘Yeah,’ Stiles laughed, the joyous sound shattering the grave tone.   
Lydia, eyes crinkling in subtle delight, placed her head on his shoulder. Stiles embraced her, nudging his nose in her hair. It went quiet.

‘Will you stay?’  
Stiles nodded, ‘Yeah,’ The minute he heard the news, he threw in a few pairs of jeans at the first flannels he saw into a duffel bag. ‘I’ll stay until this is fixed.’  
‘Okay.’   
Stiles caught Scott’s eye through the window as the boy went to see his mum, at least that’s what Stiles presumed. They smiled at each other. It seemed like the both of them had their hearts lifted.

‘I’m going to the cafeteria to get something to eat,’ he stood up, wiping the sweat on his hands of his pants, ‘Want anything?’   
Lydia shook her head, ‘I’m good.’  
‘Okay,’ he quickly pecked her cheek. ‘Be right back.’

As he turned the corner towards the restaurant, he felt the weight on his shoulders lighten a little. Just a little.

  
They would be okay. They always will.

**Author's Note:**

> You can yell at me on Tumblr at http://stydiahasconquered.tumblr.com/


End file.
